Celebrating Conservation The Crowley Museum forever preserved

Celebrating Conservation! Last night Sarasota County held a celebration and public meeting regarding the addition of several hundred acres conserved in the Old Miakka area. Including, effective August 31, 2022, CMNC! Among the speakers was our own Christine Johnson!

Christine was an instrumental player in the conservation of the Crowley Museum & Nature Center. Along with her staff Debi Osborne & Lee Amos who are unsung heroes and absolute wealth of knowledge, they guided CMNC’s CEO & Board of Directors through the long and involved process to protect the rare jewel that is Crowley. Externally we were lead brilliantly by members of the Sarasota County Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program. They were thorough, prompt, fair and their due diligence maintained confidence in all parties throughout. This special program made the conservation of the Crowley Museum & Nature Center possible and beneficial both to the future of our nonprofit and the community we love. We can now definitely plan to be here for ALL to learn from and enjoy Florida’s natural & cultural history in our unique hands on and immersive way, forever. Forever. We’ve forever joined the Myakka Island Conservation Corridor, thousands of continuous acres of important environmentally sensitive lands.

CMNC may not be a “big” piece, certainly no where near the biggest, but placing our little piece in this puzzle of perpetuity will create an impact that is truly immeasurable. The laughter of children on hayrides, the lulling of cracker cattle, the calls of birds, amorous alligators and buzzing insects will echo through the ancient oaks, the resilient ash and the shimmering maples, forever. Among these trees and sounds of Old Florida, wildlife will dwell safely. Uncountable generations of every species will flourish and move about their lives without severe and detrimental human impact. This, is simply invaluable. On behalf of the staff and volunteers of CMNC, the rescued and adopted livestock, the furred, feathered, scaled, creeping, slimy and shelled wild inhabitants of all 191 acres, we thank all who helped us to arrive here. To arrive at forever. “Thank you” seems woefully inadequate for the gift of forever, but let us try through educating our youth immersively. Let us try by keeping this conservation easement open to the benefit of the community that they too, understand the importance of conserving natural lands.